Twist launches HTML5 app to help Android users let others know when they’ll be late for an appointment

Twist, the mobile app that helps keep others notified of your arrival, has launched its Android app. Previously only available for the iPhone, this new version now lets more people better manage their schedules. The app is mostly similar to its iPhone counterpart, except that it was built in HTML5 and a number of cosmetic differences.

If you’ve ever been stuck in traffic or late for any reason to a meeting or event, having some way to notify the other party would have been extremely helpful. Twist says that it recognizes this problem — tardiness, it says, is a problem for millions of people. This is exacerbated by the fact that in the United States, 24% of all vehicle crashes involve the use of a cell phone, 25% of Americans admit to sending text messages just to notify someone that they’re running late.

Twist is a little bit like Glympse, in that it allows you to tell someone where you are. But instead of just showing them a location on a map, Twist will figure out exactly how long it’s going to take for them to get to the intended destination, whether that be via car, on foot, on bike or what have you.

The company says that there are over 100 million Android units shipped each quarter. This is an incredible opportunity for the app to grow and help eliminate lateness not only in the professional space, but in the personal one too. Based on a 2012 Harris Interactive Poll, being late has costly repercussions. Besides the social consequences, it is estimated that it costs businesses more than $90 billion per year in lost productivity.

This could explain the market demand for the Android version. Mike Belshe, co-founder of Twist, says that as soon as the iPhone app was released, a huge swell of demand came from Android users who wanted to see a version for their devices. Now, five months later, that time has arrrived.

We developed Twist so that both parties involved don’t have to have the app installed, but the experience is enhanced when all users are utilizing the application.

With the release of the Android version, users will find that there are four tweaks to the app: the company has addressed the tap integration with the Android OS, received destinations are automatically added to the app’s recent history, battery life has been improved, and participants can be added with one touch in the People tab.

Twist has raised $6 million in Series A funding from Bridgescale Partners, Eric Hahn, Jeff Skoll, and from the two company co-founders, Bill Lee and Mike Belshe.

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Ken Yeung is a reporter for The Next Web based in San Francisco, CA. He carries around a big camera & likes to write about tech, startups, parties, and interesting people. Follow him on Twitter, on Facebook, and Google+.